Helmut Kohl

Helmut Josef Michael Kohl was a towering figure in post‑war German politics, whose career spanned more than five decades and reshaped the continent's destiny. Born on 3 April 1930 in Ludwigshafen, then part of the German Reich, he joined the newly formed Christian Democratic Union (CDU) at the age of sixteen and quickly rose through its youth ranks, co‑founding the Junge Union in his hometown. His first electoral success came in 1959 when he became the youngest member of the Rhineland‑Palatinate Landtag, a position that paved the way for his appointment as Minister‑President of the state from 1969 to 1976, during which he introduced sweeping educational reforms and modernised the state administration. In 1973 Kohl was elected national chairman of the CDU, consolidating his reputation as a skilled party strategist and a pragmatic conservative. After a period as Leader of the Opposition, he seized the chancellorship in 1982 through a constructive vote of no confidence, initiating a sixteen‑year tenure that remains the longest of any democratically elected German chancellor. As Chancellor he was the principal architect of German reunification, negotiating the 1990 treaty that merged East and West Germany and overseeing the historic move of the capital to Berlin. He also forged the Franco‑German partnership with President François Mitterrand, co‑authoring the Maastricht Treaty that created the European Union and the euro currency. Internationally, Kohl cultivated close ties with the United States, supporting President Ronald Reagan’s firm stance against the Soviet Union and positioning the West German economy as a cornerstone of NATO. After stepping down in 1998, he remained an influential elder statesman until a series of scandals and health setbacks diminished his public role. He died on 16 June 2017, leaving a complex legacy of European integration, reunified Germany, and a reputation as “the father of modern Europe.”